What is Turkish “Kitlama” Style of Tea Drinking?

Kitlama sugar cubes

© Ugur Akinci

There is a special way of drinking tea with sugar in Turkey which called “kitlama” and originates from the Eastern city of Erzurum. In this style, the sugar is not poured directly into the cup. That’s considered almost a “sacrilegious” act by die-hard Turkish tea fans.

Instead, the sugar, which is a small (quarter to half and inch wide) lump of hard white candy, is placed and held in between the half-open jaws. Then, as the drinker sips in the tea, the hot liquid is held over the lump of sugar for a brief second before swallowed. The tea liquid is thus sweetened inside the mouth instead of in the cup itself.

Kitlama drinking needs some practice to get used to. But if you’re a foreigner and learn how to drink your tea by this method, you will certainly win friends for life since Turks hold this skill highly and consider it as the true mark of a genuine tea lover.